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Big Clipper

$149.00

(14 customer reviews)

Note for M1 Mac Users: This plugin is not yet compiled to work natively on M1 Macs. We are currently in the process of rewriting it so that it will, but it will take some time. In the meantime, it should work under rosetta on M1 Macs.

Big Clipper combines a variable clipping algorithm and limiter that gives you the ability to control peaks and increase loudness transparently, enabling you to make tracks louder, compression and reverb sound more natural, and overall mixes more cohesive.

Available Formats

windowsmac

 

vst2vst3aurtasaax

 

Features

  • Hybrid Clipper/Limiter
  • 4 Blending modes
  • Frequency sensitivity control

Just as engineers discovered the benefits of hitting analog tape harder than the specs considered safe, it turns out that clipping actually provides an excellent means of controlling peaks and creating an appealing non-linear behavior that enhances instruments and overall mixes. The only caveat is that digital clipping when pushed too hard, can cause irretrievable damage. It turns out that there’s a very narrow window for clipping that allows cohesion and presence. Big Clipper’s unique constellation of controls let you throw open that window and let the air in. Along with the ability to control the intensity and shape of clipping, Big Clipper has four blend modes that control how the limiting and clipping combine. However, the real magic is in the three-band sensitivity control; too much low-frequency energy causing problems? Just dial it back and let the mids and highs work their wonders. Are the highs taking your head off? No worries. Just cut them and let the mids speak. Whether you need subtle clipping or heavy overdrive, Big Clipper gives you full creative control.

Big Clipper—Just the Facts:

  • Combines variable clipping and limiting
  • Shape lets you adjust between hard and soft clipping
  • Four blend modes control how the limiter and clipper are blended together
  • Three-band frequency sensitivity controls how the clipper/limiter responds to different parts of the frequency spectrum
  • Toolbar with presets and save, A/B comparison, selectable stereo, and mid-side operation, wet/dry mix, and bypass

Big Clipper—Cracking the Code

It’s important to realize that many of the processes we use to manipulate sound in a pleasing manner are counter-intuitive. Common wisdom tells us that clipping is something to be avoided—it was true in the analog days, and more so in the digital era. But just like it was discovered that distortion judiciously (creatively) applied, could make drums, guitar, bass, or vocals stand out while still reading as clean in a mix, it was only a matter of time before creative use of digital clipping was found to yield similar results, particularly in certain genres of metal and EDM. In fact, cleverly applied clipping, rather than compromise the sound of an instrument or entire mix, can actually enhance them.

The early onset of clipping in a digital system, or soft clipping, behaves much like analog tape saturation in terms of trimming peaks while adding a non-linear behavior that in context reads as transparent while adding body and presence. While a limiter can trim peaks and bring up overall level, aggressive limiting can also cause unwanted artifacts. Aggressive limiting not only chops off transients in a bad way, it also pushes down everything beneath them, punching holes your mix.

It turns out that the trick is to combine clipping with limiting so that neither has to work too hard, which in turn yields transparent results in terms of level and presence. Big Clipper combines these processes with quite a bit more flexibility.

Big Clipper Controls

Along with the standard attack and release controls for clipping, Big Clipper offers five control sections:

Push—controls the input gain of the clipping algorithm. The harder you drive the input, the harder it will clip.

Pull—adjusts the clipping threshold. Anything above the threshold will be clipped, anything below is unprocessed.

Shape—lets you adjust between soft and hard clipping, from smooth to aggressive

Blend—the blend fader controls how much the limiter and clipper are blended together. There are four different ways you can combine them: two crossover modes, Blend Mode, and Serial Mode, which give you quick access to a wide variety of clipping flavors. Each mode changes the way the Blend fader responds.

Frequency Sensitivity

This is an incredibly powerful set of controls. To the casual observer, it looks like a simple EQ, but in reality, it’s more like a band-pass filter that controls how the clipper responds to different frequencies. Too much distortion in the low frequencies? Simply reduce the low-frequency sensitivity. This powerful control section lets your tailor clipping to your very specific needs and taste.

Download a demo of Big Clipper now and let it point the way to undiscovered worlds of processing and mixing.

14 reviews for Big Clipper

  1. Diego Vargas

    I highly recommend for certain distortion and clipping in different situations. But specifically works well in the mastering process. Its very transparent and pushes tracks well. Stereo and Mid+Side have their own placement in different scenarios, but I find Mid+Side more useful in the mastering process. I highly recommend this for other producers to add a clipper in their arsenal.

  2. kevinsparks

    Use it as a tape sim or crazy distortion beast

  3. BBBman

    I find Big Clipper a bit tweaky for me personally, but I’m not dinging it any starts for that, that’s just my own proclivity. I’m more of an LA-2A “give me two knobs” kinda guy, so I use Little Clipper more often, but I have to give Boz props for the originality and range of sounds available from this guy. As usual – nice job on a useful and original design – even if I have a hard time finding the patience for this particular one sometimes. One day I’m less busy, I’ll hole up with it and really get to know it better!

  4. oscarfishermusic

    every barber should have one of these! #BiGCLiPPER!!!!!!!

  5. Alexphilipp

    I have Little clipper which I used a lot, but after updating to Big ove was very impressed! It actually 3 band clipper with independent volume and effect control. You will not expect such results! No brainier for buy!

  6. Razzia

    Very nice sounding limiter/clipper, and as always I appreciate Boz’s approach to putting all the important controls right in front of you in a way that makes it hassle-free to get into the nuts and bolts of the sound you want. I’d been waiting for a while to pick this one up.

  7. Timiryan Manapov

    Hi boz! Was shocked!!!

  8. dcupmusic@gmail.com

    useful across so many applications

  9. justminer

    Bought this on a whim, mainly to help control some drum dynamics – turns out it sounds great and is easy to dial in. Great on snare, drum bus, bass, etc – and is now making its way into most sessions. Just the right amount of tweakability without being overly complex. Output level adjustment was an appreciated update as well.

  10. TheScientist

    This plugin is amazing! I’m still getting in to it but so far the tones I have been able to create are fantastic. With subtle clipping it is very similar to clipping my converters, extra RMS with no loss to the overall dynamic feel, push it harder and you can make things swiftly get inserted in to their own rear end!
    Randyrocker, that adjustment pot you’re talking about is the wet and dry mix. RTFM dude

  11. Randyrocker

    Right beside where it says STEREO/ MID+SIDE etc; there’s a spinning adjustment that is turned all the way to the right? As far as I know when something’s STEREO or MID+SIDE, you would want the knob you spin to be in the middle to turn to taste. Why is it that you have it to the extreme right? The same thing on the TRANSGRESSOR? Would you please explain so it makes sense?

  12. Rob Stratford

    Intuitive, easy to use, sonically brilliant and truly versatile. Set the dirt between mild sandiness to raging thunderstorm, so easy to do thanks to the various tonal blending and levelling tools, adding weight, volume, presence and liveliness to your tracks and stems. I’ve tried it on distorted guitar bus, snare track and in parallel with mid/side processing on a drum bus with fantastic results. Can’t wait to try it on bass! A great plugin that you will never tire of using. Cheers, Boz!

  13. brett

    Finally! I have been looking for the right kind of distoration for bass. Something that will keep the balls but add enough grit to make things nasty. This is it! Here it is on bass in this track (if the link shows up). It’s also very expressive responding nicely to the playing nuances to retain that alive feel, plus balls and nastiness! Get it! https://soundcloud.com/musicofplexus/in-space-there-is-only-one-shade-of-grey

  14. charliedm

    This is an excellent plugin. It’s very intuitive, sounds great and is really fun to use. Very happy with this, thank you.

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